| Sol Negro | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Label | Natasha [1] Hannibal [2] | |||
| Producer | Caetano Veloso, Celso Fonseca | |||
| Virginia Rodrigues chronology | ||||
| ||||
Sol Negro is the debut album by the Brazilian musician Virginia Rodrigues. [3] [4] It was released in 1997. [5] The album peaked at No. 7 on Billboard's World Albums chart. [6]
The album was produced by Caetano Veloso and Celso Fonseca; Veloso had "discovered" the singer at a rehearsal. [3] [7] Djavan, Milton Nascimento, and Gilberto Gil contributed to the album. [8] [9] The berimbau was used on several tracks. [10] A few songs are tributes to Rodrigues's Candomblé religion. [11]
Rodrigues sang a cappella on "Verônica". [12] "Manhã de Carnaval" is a cover of the Luiz Bonfá song; "Noite de Temporal" is a cover of the Dorival Caymmi song. [13] [14] "Adeus Batucada" was made famous by Carmen Miranda. [15]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| Robert Christgau | B− [17] |
| Edmonton Journal |  [13] |
| The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | [18] |
| MusicHound World: The Essential Album Guide | [19] |
JazzTimes wrote that "Rodrigues’s contralto voice is otherwordly, spiritual, exquisite." [12] Robert Christgau noted that she "never stretches her rich, Ella-like highs into a scat—though the few midtempo numbers have a nice jazzy lilt ... her instincts are exceedingly solemn." [17] Rolling Stone stated: "The ancient and the modern, the secular and the sacred seamlessly mingle in this document of Brazilian musical forms." [20]
Miami New Times deemed the album "a simultaneously somber and uplifting cycle of songs focused on the African experience in Brazil." [21] The New York Times concluded that "the record is both modern and roots-conscious in the best ways that Brazilians know how to be: it swings from Roman Catholic church music to carnaval sambas, ancient Afro-Brazilian drum patterns to sophisticated wind-and-string arrangements, all sculpted with delicate care." [22] The Chicago Tribune considered Sol Negro to be the eighth best album of 1998. [23]
AllMusic wrote that Rodrigues's "first major recording succeeds in juxtaposing her ability to carry both lilting Brazilian rhythms and slow harmonious melodies. [16]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Negrume da Noite" | |
| 2. | "Lua, Lua, Lua, Lua" | |
| 3. | "Adeus Batucada" | |
| 4. | "Manhã de Carnaval" | |
| 5. | "Verônica" | |
| 6. | "Noite de Temporal" | |
| 7. | "Terra Seca" | |
| 8. | "Nobreza" | |
| 9. | "Sol Negro" | |
| 10. | "Querubim" | |
| 11. | "Israfel" |
Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira, is a Brazilian singer-songwriter and politician, known for both his musical innovation and political activism. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazil's Minister of Culture in the administration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Gil's musical style incorporates an eclectic range of influences, including rock, Brazilian genres including samba, African music, and reggae.
Virgínia Rodrigues is a Brazilian singer. Her music has an influence of classical music, samba, and jazz, and her lyrics reference Candomblé and Umbanda entities.
"Manhã de Carnaval", often referred to as "Black Orpheus", is a song by Brazilian composer Luiz Bonfá and lyricist Antônio Maria.
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